Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• PIANTELLI, Mauro
• LACOBELLI, Stefano
• ALMADORI, Giovanni
• LEZZI, Manuela
• TINARI, Nicola
• NATOLI, Clara
• CADONI, Gabriella
• LAURIOLA, Libero
• RANELLETTI, Franco O

Titel

Lack of Expression of Galectin-3 Is Associated With a Poor Outcome in Node-Negative Patients With Laryngeal Squamous-Cell Carcinoma

Ist Teil von

• Journal of clinical oncology, 2002-09, Vol.20 (18), p.3850-3856

Ort / Verlag

Baltimore, MD: American Society of Clinical Oncology

Erscheinungsjahr

2002

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Galectin-3 is a pleiotropic carbohydrate-binding protein participating in a variety of normal and pathologic processes, including cancer progression. This study was aimed at evaluating the prognostic value of galectin-3 expression in node-negative laryngeal squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC). Galectin-3 expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry using M3/38 monoclonal antibody, in a single-institution series of 73 node-negative laryngeal SCC patients (median follow-up, 52 months; range, 2 to 90 months). Forty-two (57.5%) of 73 patients expressed galectin-3. Galectin-3 expression was positively associated with tumor keratinization and histologic grade. A significant correlation was found between galectin-3 tumor positivity and longer relapse-free and overall survival. In univariate analysis, high-grade (grade 3 or 4) tumors, nonkeratinizing tumors, and galectin-3-negative tumors showed a significantly increased risk of relapse and death. In multivariate analysis, only galectin-3 expression retained an independent prognostic significance for both relapse-free and overall survival. We conclude that the absence of galectin-3 expression is an independent negative prognostic marker in laryngeal SCC patients. Thus, histochemical detection of galectin-3 in these tumors could be useful for the selection of node-negative patients with potentially unfavorable outcomes, to establish adjuvant therapy protocols.